The Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development invites MPLS colleagues and students to 'AI for Planetary Systems' – a series of talks by Schmidt AI Fellows. 📆 Friday at 2pm 🗺️ Flora Anderson Hall, Somerville College 👉 Register online at: https://forms.office.com/e/L9af90acAs

Have you nominated for the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards yet? A reminder that nominations are open across six categories for professional, technical and support staff, academics and researchers. ⏰ Nominations close at noon 23 February. 👉 Find out more: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/vice-chancellors-awards

Who influences policy linked to your research – and who’s affected by it? Join this interactive workshop for researchers and DPhil students on stakeholder mapping, policy audiences, and engagement strategies. 📅 Tuesday 17 February 2026 ➡️ Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/mw4akvhz

From stalagmites to societal shifts: a collaborative study with researchers from the Department of Earth Sciences shows that dramatic flooding in the Yangtze Valley reshaped ancient human settlements, including the fall of the Shijiahe. 👉 Read more: https://tinyurl.com/574xdj24

Oxford postgraduates: applications are open for Edge Challenges. A new programme bringing interdisciplinary teams together to address real-world problems in science, tech and social innovation with external partners. 📅 Apply by 18 February ➡️ Details: https://tinyurl.com/bdr6d9ct

What does #leadership look like beyond the classroom? Prof. Alex Betts explains why the #Oxford Laidlaw Scholars Programme combines ethical leadership learning with real-world practice, from #local communities to #global projects. 2026 Applications are open ⏰ 6 Feb, 12.00 (UK) @ox.ac.uk #Laidlaw

Should we protect an emblematic species if it comes at the cost of another – especially in ecosystems still recovering from human impact? New research in collaboration with @wildcru.bsky.social researchers explores the ethical and ecological trade-offs. ➡️ Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2th925ts

The Department of Physics will co-lead one of three new UK–Japan quantum technology projects, aiming to build the foundations of a future quantum internet and exploring how quantum information could be shared securely across global networks. ➡️ Read more: https://tinyurl.com/44anvdvv

🎙️ New podcast from the Oxford Sparks team! Dr Fabian Stephany from the Oxford Internet Institute discusses how AI could help you secure a better job and a higher salary than your digital twin. Intrigued? Listen to the podcast here: https://tinyurl.com/fzedcerj

Project Management: the Essentials (in-person) Led by Dr Justin Hutchence, this is a practical course giving research staff a hands-on PM toolbox covering planning, risk, stakeholders and time estimation.  📅 19 February from 9.30–4.00 ➡️ Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/mstzescv

Expert comment: Computers can help us do science, but they cannot understand it for us. Oxford physicist Dr Heloise Stevance explains why human judgement, interpretation and rigour remain central to research, even in the age of AI. Find out more 👇

The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences has announced its first cohort of fellows, 100 in total from academia, teaching, science communication and business. Twelve of those fellows are from Oxford. Who's who: www.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/80068

🎧 Listen back to the roundtable discussion on the future of responsible AI in science, hosted by Professor Jim Naismith, Head of MPLS Division. ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/4jfkntvw

What about the unintended consequences of our research? 🎧 Listen back to our afternoon keynote with Professor Gemma Derrick, University of Bristol: “Thinking about the prospect of AI's 'grimpact': A non 'anti-AI' warning of risk” ➡️

The Medical Research Foundation has awarded £200K to a new IOI–Nigerian Defence Academy study into how phage-based disinfectants could reduce #AMR in Nigeria. Read more👉 https://ow.ly/xWaF50XZGvV 📸 credit: R. Kometani, S. Ishihara (https://ow.ly/cASz50XZGvX#AMR

Predicting humans with AI ethically. 🎧 Listen back to our morning keynote with Professor Tom Stoneham (University of York): “Permissibility, sub-optimality, and the transferable skills of personal responsibility.” ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/4jfkntvw

A new study published in Nature Sustainability, finds that if global warming reaches 2°C above pre-industrial levels, 3.79 billion, around 41% of the global population, will be exposed to extreme heat. Read about the findings and view the dataset: https://tinyurl.com/mr4x4eye

Bletchley Park Week returns to Kellogg College next month. Exploring the Age of AI, the programme connects wartime codebreaking with today’s debates on artificial intelligence, ethics and society through talks, demos and visits. See more: https://www.kellogg.ox.ac.uk/bletchleyparkweek-at-kellogg/

📢 Have your say now in the National Student Survey! The National Student Survey is now open, surveying all final year undergrads. If that's you, you will have been emailed a link inviting you to have your say about your Oxford experience. Please take a moment to let us know.

What happens when we delegate scientific decision-making to computers? 🎧 Listen back to our morning keynote with Dr Heloise Stevance (Department of Physics): “Delegating decision-making to the computer in science: old and new challenges.” ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/4jfkntvw

👏 Congratulations to Professors Reece Oosterbeek, Meera Mehta and Paul McGonigal awarded SCGC-FIRST funding to research challenges in sustainable materials, catalysis and energy-efficient AI through the University’s partnership with SCGC. Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/bdefkyrx

The MPLS Researcher Conference at Oxford explored AI, ethics, and responsibility across disciplines. A clear message emerged: AI ethics isn’t an add‑on, but central to trust, power, and real‑world impact in research. Read more about the conference 👇

NEW: Researchers led by @oxengsci.bsky.social have engineered quantum behaviour inside proteins. The work opens an exciting potential pathway toward new medical imaging and biotechnology tools. ➡️ Find out more: https://tinyurl.com/35a5unrd

Oxford has been ranked 1st in the world for Computer Science for the 8th year running in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject. We’re proud to be recognised once again for excellence in research and teaching. www.cs.ox.ac.uk/news/2506-fu... @timeshighered.bsky.social

⏰ Final days to apply MSc Robotics Application Deadline is 28 January. If you’re thinking about robotics, AI, and intelligent systems, this is your moment. 👉 Hurry. Apply now: https://f.mtr.cool/katphreuoo

UK-based postdocs: Applications are now open for Bytes & Bench, a peer mentoring scheme for those working at the interface of data science and biomedical research. 📅 Closing date for applications: 2 March 2026 ➡️ Further details on the scheme: https://integrate-bio.org/getinvolved/peermentoring

Have you nominated for the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards yet? Nominations are open across six categories for professional, technical and support staff, academics and researchers. ⏰ Nominations close at noon on 23 February. 👉 Find out more: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/vice-chancellors-awards

Public engagement is how research meets society – through trust, dialogue, and diverse perspectives. The Making Research Matter panel discussion with Professor Irene Tracey will explore why public engagement matters & how to get started. 📅 5 February 👉 https://tinyurl.com/2578e2sd

🐧 A decade-long Penguin Watch study using 77 monitoring cameras shows Antarctic penguins are breeding earlier at record rates as temperatures rise. These behavioural shifts may be early warnings of broader ecosystem disruption. Find out more 👇 https://tinyurl.com/47m5emn9

It’s #PenguinAwarenessDay 🐧 Join us in celebrating penguins and recognising the importance of safeguarding their ocean habitats.

📢 Applications are open for Spring Micro-Internships Open to Oxford students, the Careers Service's Micro-Internship Programme offers short placements in Weeks 9–10 of Hilary Term across a wide range of sectors. Closing date for applications: 1 February www.careers.ox.ac.uk/micro-intern...

This Monday doesn’t have to be blue. Take a cue from the Samaritans and join #BrewMonday. Reach out, put the kettle on, and share a cuppa with a friend or colleague – in person or online.

Welcome back for Hilary term!

📢 The OxCODE Funding Scheme (2025–26) is open to Oxford researchers. The fund supports pump-priming research in cancer precision prevention and earlier detection, including translational and cross-disciplinary projects. Deadline: 27 February Details: https://tinyurl.com/2s4yafrm

New research led by the Department of Earth Sciences finds that marine species that could move north-south survived better over 540M years than those restricted to east-west coastlines. Moving with latitude helped them track shifting climates. ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/2ynw7nnc

📢  Last call for registrations for the Particle Physics New Year Lecture 'New Year, New Horizons: Advancing the Axion Dark-Matter Frontier' given by Professor Lindley Winslow (MIT). In person and online on 24 January 2026. Read more and register: https://tinyurl.com/hfxetsvn

Wonderful to be here at the @mplsoxford.bsky.social Researcher Conference, sharing how our hub is leveraging the creative power of pure mathematics, to understand and advance AI systems #AIethics #Mathematics #AIsystems #Oxford

A great morning of talks at the MPLS Researcher Conference on AI & Ethics – with more to look forward to this afternoon 👏

Join HAPP for the one-day conference Heritage Physics: Illuminating the Past, on how scientific techniques are used to study and preserve cultural heritage. 📅 21 February 2026 🗺️ Mathematical Institute, Oxford and online Find out more and register at: https://tinyurl.com/46b6zpmz

Join the Oxford Martin School for a panel discussion on last month's COP30, with insights and reflections from members of the University’s delegation. 📅 Tuesday 27 January 2026 🗺️ Oxford Martin School and online Find out more and register at: https://oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/events/cop30-debrief

In the 1600s, Johannes Hevelius produced the first atlas of the moon, the Selenographia, sive Lunae descriptio (1647). The Bodleian's digitisation of the Selenographia is available to browse online at tinyurl.com/3ux4zw9u

"Professor Pethe brings exceptional scientific leadership and a proven track record in translating discovery science into real-world impact..." Professor Jim Naismith, Head of MPLS Division

👏 Congratulations to Professor Aigrain, Dr Bartlett and Professor Bunker from the Department of Physics, and Associate Professor Koelemeijer from the Department of Earth Sciences, on their recognition in the Royal Astronomical Society Awards. ➡️ See: https://tinyurl.com/32wk7894

🌱 Two Oxford academics awarded first-ever Royal Academy of Engineering Green Future Fellowships. Professors Robert House (Materials) and Moritz Riede (Physics) have been awarded one of @raeng.org.uk’s inaugural Green Future Fellowships. Read more ⬇️

It can be difficult for researchers and policymakers to know where to start connecting. The @oxpolicyengaged.bsky.social Seed Fund aims to make it easier for potential partners to collaborate through policy engagement. 📅 Applications close 23 February 2026 👉 ow.ly/vQeE50QmYLj

The new Thermo Scientific Apreo 2 Scanning Electron Microscope was unveiled this week by Professor Jim Naismith, Head of Division, and will be jointly operated by @oxfordmaterials.bsky.social  and @oxuniearthsci.bsky.social.

On this day in history... Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, Lucasian Professor, @UnivOxford alumnus and author of 'A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes' was born in Oxford in 1942.

How tough are asteroids? Tougher than expected. Oxford physicists have helped show that iron-rich asteroids can survive far more impact energy than previously believed – with direct implications for planetary defence. Read more ⬇️ www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-01...

✨ Ready to upskill in 2026? The MPLS Division Researcher Training and Development Opportunities for Hilary Term are all available to browse and book at https://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/training/courses

The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards are open for nominations. The awards are a University-wide celebration of outstanding people and their successes across research engagement, innovation, and culture. 👉 Find out more about the award categories at: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/vice-chancellors-awards